Micro-Stick to Rapid Infusion Catheter (RIC): Ultrasound-Guided Rapid Infusion Catheter Insertion Using a Micropuncture Kit

Philip L Stagg

doi:10.7759/cureus.35813

Micro-Stick to Rapid Infusion Catheter (RIC): Ultrasound-Guided Rapid Infusion Catheter Insertion Using a Micropuncture Kit

Cureus. 2023 Mar 6;15(3):e35813. doi: 10.7759/cureus.35813. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Author

Philip L Stagg^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, AUS.
² Anaesthetics, Gold Coast Private Hospital, Gold Coast, AUS.

Abstract

Ultrasound-guidance improves success for difficult intravenous access (DIVA), particularly when difficulty is anticipated. However, insertion of a wide-bore sheath, such as a rapid infusion catheter, is likely to pose additional problems and unique challenges in this context, despite ultrasound guidance. With the aid of a video clinical simulation, this article describes an ultrasound-guided technique for inserting a proprietary rapid infusion catheter (RIC) or similar wide-bore sheath using the micropuncture kit.

Keywords: difficult intravenous access; micropuncture kit; rapid infusion catheter; seldinger technique; ultrasound-guided vascular access.